Wireless communication systems typically include wireless access systems with equipment such as wireless access nodes along with various control and routing nodes which provide wireless access to communication services for wireless communication devices over wireless links. A typical wireless communication system includes systems to provide wireless access across a geographic region, with wireless coverage areas associated with individual wireless access nodes. The wireless access systems exchange user communications between wireless communication devices, service providers, and other end user devices. The user communications typically include voice calls, data exchange, web pages, streaming media, or text messages, among other communication services.
The various wireless access nodes include RF equipment and antennas to transmit and receive wireless communications, such as those mentioned above. These wireless communications can support different wireless transmission modes, such as beamforming modes and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) modes. However, to provide these different modes of transmission, different and separate antenna systems are typically employed. These antenna systems are typically mounted on tower structures and driven by co-located radio head units. Multiple, separate, antenna systems and radio head units for these different transmission modes can be difficult to install in high density areas, such as when attempted to be mounted on the same tower structure or antenna mast equipment.
Furthermore, the particular antenna systems employed can include many antenna elements in an arrayed configuration. However, when driving the various antenna elements in arrayed configurations, RF interference between antenna elements and insufficient spatial separation of the antenna elements can lead to poor wireless transmissions as well as limited versatility of a particular antenna for use in multiple transmission modes.
Overview
Systems, methods, and software for driving multiple transmission modes to a single antenna system that has pairs of overlaid orthogonal antenna elements are provided herein. In one example, a method of operating a remote radio unit that drives an antenna system comprising pairs of overlaid orthogonal antenna elements is provided. The method includes receiving user communications and control data transferred by a baseband unit. If the control data indicates a beamforming mode, then the method includes generating a first plurality of RF signals directed to at least one of the pairs of overlaid orthogonal antenna elements for target wireless communication devices. If the control data indicates a MIMO mode, then the method includes generating a second plurality of RF signals for the plurality of antenna elements, wherein the second plurality of RF signals are directed to non-adjacent ones of the pairs of the overlaid orthogonal antenna elements for the target wireless communication devices.
In another example, a remote radio unit that drives an antenna system comprising pairs of overlaid orthogonal antenna elements is provided. The remote radio unit includes a baseband unit interface configured to receive user communications and control data transferred by a baseband unit, and an RF system configured to generate RF signals directed to the antenna system based on at least the user communications and the control data. If the control data indicates a beamforming mode, then the RF system is configured to generate a first plurality of RF signals directed to at least one of the pairs of overlaid orthogonal antenna elements for target wireless communication devices. If the control data indicates a MIMO mode, then the RF system is configured to generate a second plurality of RF signals for the plurality of antenna elements, wherein the second plurality of RF signals are directed to non-adjacent ones of the pairs of the overlaid orthogonal antenna elements for the target wireless communication devices.